Turbine-blading.



GEORGE VESTINGHOUSE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

TURBINE-BLADlNC-r.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed October 4, 1907', Serial No. 395,924. Renewed May 13, 1908. Serial No. 432,699.

,To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Gnoiion lVns'riNG- House, a citizen of the United States, and a' resident of Pittsburg, in the county ot Allegheny and State of Iennsyl vfan have made a new and useful Invention in Turbine-Pilading, ot which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elastic tluid turbines and more .particularly to holding means for the stationary blades ot such machines.

-1 ln certain types of turbines it is necessary to maintain close workingclearances between the rcvohing and stationary elements in order to obtain high etiiciency. These close clearances are a source of ditliculty and trouble for the reason that the rotors and stators oi. turbines a re liable to and. under certain operating conditions, do distort. These distortions may result from variations oi. temperature throughout the. working passages of the turbine and a consequent inequality of tenuiierature strains set up in the metal ot the stator or rotor; or inherent strains may be set up nithin the stator by calking the stationary blades in place, which cause the stator to warp and distort when it is subjected to variations of temperature. Besides the liability of distortion. the tendency ofthe rotor. to rotate at high speeds about its gravity axis instead ,of its geometric axis is a source of trouble.

An object ot this invention has been to overcome the trouble which arises from the necessary small clea 1ances and the above mentioned distortions of the rotors and stators ot turbines.

A further object of this invention has been the production of a blade holding element for turbines which obviates the necessity of calking the blades in place and therefore decreases thetendency to distort of the blade holding elements.

I accomplish the first of these objects by mounting the stationary blades of the turbine on thc turbine stator or casing.,T in such a manner that they are capable of moving radially to acconunodate themselves to vvariations in thc relative positions of the rotor and stator and in also providing clearancedetermining strips, for the outer or free ends of the rotating` blades. which move with the stationary blades to accommodate the varying positions oi" the relatively rotating part.

I accomplish the second object by providing blade holdingr elements which are located in undercut. channels or grooves .formed in the blade carrying members of the turbine and which are secured in place by means of springs or their equivalents.

ln the drawings accompanying' this application and forming a part thereof: Figure l is a fragmentary section oi' a turbine and illustrates an clnbmlinunt of my invention; Fig. 2 is a` section along the line A-A of Fig. l; and Fig. is a partial longitudinal action of a turbine illustrating' a modification of my invention. l

The turbine illustrated as embodying my iuif'ention comprises a rotor 2, a stator,orin closing casing 3 and alternate rows ot' moving;` and stationary blades -land 5, which are rcsl'iectiwly mounted on the rotor and stator o't' the turbine. The moving blades are sccured in any suitable. manner in grooves or channels provided for that purpose in the rotor and the stationary blades 5 are-mount.- ed in segments ot a ring or are shaped base pieces (l, which are secured in place in underl cut channels or grooves 7 formed in the stator. These hase pieces are rolled or drawn to the desired section and arc preterably cut and formed .into semi-circular segments, cach of which is provided with two t rows of radially extending' and circumferentially alined holes 8. intoiwhich the stationary blades are mounted in any suitable. manner. The rows ot blades of each base piece are so spaced that they cooperate with the movingblades mounted on the rotor in the delivery of motive fluid.`

Each semi-circular base piece is so mounted within one ol the grooves 7 that it is canable oi" acertain amount ot transver i .motion relative to the stator. in a pla perpendicular to the axis of' the rotor. T accomplish this by providing a circumferentially-extending,r and latcrally-projecting flange 9 on each side of each base piece. 'lliese flanges cooperate w'itli' the shoulders formed by the undercut portion of the .Q'rooves 7 in holding` the base piece in place and at the same time permit ot a certain amount of play. The body portion proper ot each base piece Jforms a sliding tit with dthe walls ot' the narrmvcr portion ol the grooves 7 and the (langes are ot' such thickness relative to tlux dtpth Fn' the undercut capable ot moving inwardly relative to the portion ot' the `eroore that. the base piece is' llO Ice

groove. vThe portion ot each base-piece which projects out of the groove 7 is provided on one side with a circumferentiallyextending flange 10, which projects laterally into close proximity with the outer or free ends of an adjacent row of blades 4 and forms a clearan'cedetermining strip for those blades and a protecting strip for the blade-mounting element..

That portion ot the peripheral face ot the base strip adjacent to the outer or free ends of the row ot blades-t, which is located and operates between the 'two rows ot blades carried by the st.rip,tormsl a clearance-determining surface tor the moving blades.

Each base strip. is yieldingly held in an operatingl position; by means ot Ja fiatv spring,v or a, plurality of tlat. springs "15. which are mounted in aslot 1G cut'iii the inner wall of each groove 7 and which operate between the stator'. and the base piece to torce the flanges 9 into Contact with the shoulders formed by the undercut portion o'l the grooves 7.

.Each base ypiece is so constructed and its blades are so arrangedthat when the flanges tt areheld against the .shoulders formed by the undercut portions ot the `grooves 7. the stationary blades carried by the base piece project into close proximity with the turbine rotor and maintain a desired clearance and one which is equal to the clearance between the outer or tree ends ot the moving blades and the base piece. lilith such a construction, if for any reason the relative positions ot the rotor and stator are disturbed and the clearances which itl is desired to maintain are destroyed by the rotor contacting with the free ends of the stationary blades or the stator coming in contact with the tree ends ot the rotating blades, the hase pieces G will move radially outward,under the inuence ot the contacting torce. and tiatten a number ot the springs l5 and thereby prevent any serious disturbance. Under such conditions the tree ends ot the'stationary blades will be yieldingly held in Contact with the rotor and the base pic-ees will be yieldingly held in contact with the outer or tree ends of the rotor blades.

ly cutting the base pieces'G into semi-,circular segments, or even into smaller segments, a portion only ot the blades of each row of stationary blades will be disturbed by a displacement ot the rotor or stator and the remaining blades will be held by their springs to maintain as nearly as possible the desired Working clearance.

In order that'the spring l5 may not be. compelled to operaie against the pressure of' theimotive fluid, series of holes 17 are provided in the stator, or in each base piece 6. Jwhich connect the undercut portion oeach of the grooves 7 with the Working passages of the turbine. These holes admit Working fluid around the mounting pieces 6 so that they are about balanced with reference to u fiuid pressure.

In Fig. 1, I have shown an embodiment of my invention utilized in connection with a turbine in which the blades of each successive row are longer than the blades of each preceding row. Each base stri`pis therefore constructed tol accommodate the mounting of two rows of stationary blades ot dilterent lengths and is also arranged to form a clearance-determining strip for two rows' of moving blades 4 ot different lengths.

ln Fig. 3, l have'shown an embodiment of my invention in which the blades 5 of each ot the two rows mounted on the same base strip are of the same length and eachpiecel is constructed to form a clearance-determining strip for two rows of blades 4 of the same length.

the base strips will be yieldingly pressed l. also contemplate using base strips carrying three or more rows oitblades against the outer or free ends of the blades t and the stationary blades 5 will be yieldingly held against the peripheral surface of the rotor until they are ground down and a minimum clearance is obtained. 0

The clearances may be adjusted from time to time by cuttingdown the shoulders formed by the undercut portions of the grooves 7. l i

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the princi-V y' ple of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I. now consider' to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

. What I claim is..

rows of stationary blades mountedon each of said elements and means for mounting vsaid elements on said stator whereby said l v 411:5 1. In combination with the rotor of avstationary blades are capable of substantially radial motion.

Q 'ln 'combination with the rotor of a turbine and annular rows of blades mounted thereon, va stator, bladecarrying elements therefor, a plurality of circumterentiallyh extending rows of stationary blades mounted on each of said elements and means for mounting said elements on said stator Whereby sald stationary blades are capable of transverse motion relative to said stator and l in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said rot-or. r

3. In a turbine, a rotor, annular rows of blades carried thereby, a stator, and a bladecarrying element mounted on said stator and yieldingly held in place and forming a clearance-determining strip. for two rows of rotor blades.

4. -In a turbine, a rotor, annular rows of blades carried by said rotor, a stator, and a blade-holding member mounted onv said stator and. forming a clearance-determining strlp `for two rows of rotor blades.

5. In a-turbine, a blade holding member mounted on a blade-carrying element of said 5 turbine, blades mounted on said member and arran ed in a plurality of circumferentiallyexten ing rows, and means whereby said blade-carrying member is capable off trans. verse motlon in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the turbine.

6. In a turbine, a blade-carrying element provided with a blade mounting slot, a plurality of blades assembled in-two rows, a blade mounting strip for said blades adapted to be secured into said slot, and a clearancedetermining strip VJformed integrally with said blade mounting strip.

7. In a turbine, a blade-carrying element provided with a blade mounting slot, a plurality of blades assembled in two rows, a blade mounting element adapted to be secured in said slot and means whereby said blade mounting element is yieldingly held in place.

8. In a turbine,ca blade-mounting element provided with a slot, a plurality of blades assembled in .W0 rows, a blade mounting element for said blades, and means for mounting said blade-mounting element in said slot whereby said blades are calpable of transverse motion relative to said blade carrying element. y A v 9. In combination with a turbine element provided with an undercutgroove, a blade foundation member slidably mounted within said groove and a plurality of rows of blades carried by said member.

10. In combination with a turbine rotor element carrying an annular row of blades, a stator element provided with ay groove lying opposite said row of blades, a blade foundationl member removably mounted within said groove, and two rows of blades carried by said member and located on opposite sides of the row carried by the rotor element.

ll. In combination with a turbine rotor element provided with an annular row of blades, a stator element provided with an undercut groove in line with said row of blades, a removable blade foundation member in said groove and provided with two rows of blades and means for yieldingly holding said foundation member toward I. said rotor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of Sep- CHARLES WV. MCGHEE, E. W. MCCALLISTER. 

